


Across the Valley

by GirlKnownSomewhere



Category: The Monkees (Band), The Monkees (TV)
Genre: 1960s, Band Fic, Cute, F/M, Ficlet, Flirting, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22841542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GirlKnownSomewhere/pseuds/GirlKnownSomewhere
Summary: Ann gets a little starstruck meeting a movie star associated with the Monkees and Raybert.
Relationships: Peter Tork/Ann Moses
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Across the Valley

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so I'm not happy with this one at all, heh. This is one of those stories where I started with a lot of ideas/inspiration, but I kept getting busy/distracted with real life that by the time I got to writing most of it, I felt like I lost most of my mojo. 💔 But since it's just been sitting on my computer for three months, I'm dumping it on my account, lol.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the Monkees, Ann Moses' or Peter Fonda's likenesses

One-shot: Across the Valley

Hollywood, March 1968

Taking a seat on the studio lobby couch next to the front entrance of Columbia Studios, Ann let out a breath as she set her bag at her side. It had been an…eventful day to say the least. She had been trying to figure out an article to write on the Monkees’ new theatrical feature film, but already a month into filming, and she couldn’t even grasp what the movie was about. She wasn’t entirely surprised at Raybert being vague with their responses, but she wasn’t expecting the band to not give her straight answers either. Sighing again, she sat for a second to just let the day sink in. She randomly glanced at her tape recorder, and for the hell of it picked it up and turned it on. She was alone in the lobby and didn’t have anything else planned on this Thursday, so she figured she might try some freeform, critical thinking on the spot for the first time in weeks. 

“Well…we’re almost at four weeks of filming the Monkees’ new movie and…I don’t have much to report for you…dedicated Tiger Beat readers…Bob and Bert keep telling me not to worry about the film’s lack of plot…which is an issue, since I can’t exactly promote it without describing it…The star cameos they’ve signed on are pretty groovy…Annette Funicello, Frank Zappa, Victor Mature, Sonny Liston, Carol Doda…most of whom you haven’t heard of…musical numbers, a boxing match, mermaids, two suicide attempt scenes…Not sure who exactly is supposed to be the target audience here…But the soundtrack is coming along well. Quality songs like ‘Can You Dig It,’ ‘Circle Sky’ and ‘Daddy’s Song,’ all have the same potential as their past hits. The LP will probably do well even without the feature. So the question remains…Why am I here.”

Right as Ann ended her stream of consciousness with the rhetorical pondering, a teenage girl sporadically skipped up to the couch and sat next to Ann while chewing a big wad of pink gum. The journalist sat emotionless as the teen continued to smack on her gum leisurely, oblivious to the fact that Ann was in the middle of using her tape recorder. “Um, do you think you might be able to do that somewhere else—”

“Hey, Michele. I think you missed Tracy and Reine. I just saw them leaving the lot.” Before Ann could consider if ‘Michele’ was one of the many new groupies hanging around the sets, she instantly recognized the voice interrupting her was that of a legitimately cool, bona fide movie star. Suddenly entering the room was Peter Fonda, son of Henry and a regular around the Sunset Strip and Laurel Canyon. The younger, dirty blonde girl shrugged and bounced off the couch to skip out of the lobby again. Ann on the other hand, was currently a bit starstruck for a rarity. The actor loosely held a motorcycle helmet in his right hand and was still wearing his sunglasses indoors, with the obligatory leather jacket. It wasn’t like this was the first time the writer-editor had met film actors—she’d even met Lucille Ball and Dean Martin over two years ago. But hey, it wasn’t every day she met Hollywood royalty as hip and attractive as Peter. _‘This must be what Mike’s fangirls feel like,’_ she pondered.

“Sorry, not to be blunt…I’m drawing a blank…”

Ann’s thoughts were broken when the star cautiously spoke directly to her, revealing that he couldn’t remember if they knew each other. “Oh, we haven’t met. I’m Ann, I write…for a number of different publications,” she suddenly introduced, for the first time feeling like her main teenybopper gig might not sound like the grooviest thing. 

“Oh, far out,” the star commented. “You covering the Monkees film?”

“Yeah…or as much as they’re letting me. No one seems to be worried that the movie doesn’t have a plot,” she explained.

Peter smirked as he leaned against the nearest wall. “You know, there’s going to be a market for that kind of flick in the future.”

Ann crinkled her brow. “Maybe a small market…”

“That’s a groovy scarf,” he pointed to the clothing item she was wearing around her neck. “I think my sister has the same design.”

Ann raised her hand to her neck and tried not to boast at him clearly referencing his older sister Jane. “Thanks!”

Just then, a third person entered the lobby, and it happened to be the only other man she knew as committed to motorcycles as Peter.

“Sorry, I got caught up chatting with Bert in the office,” Mike revealed with his own helmet in his hand and his sunglasses still on. Ann raised her eyebrows slightly at him apparently knowing the actor…Come to think of it, she did remember him mentioning a ‘Peter’ he sometimes rode bikes with who wasn’t his Monkee bandmate…oh.

“No problem, man,” Peter replied and stood up straight to naturally make their way to the front entrance. But suddenly, the film star turned and brought his attention back to her. “Oh, you need a ride?” He offered.

Ann’s mouth slightly opened to respond, until she quickly noticed Mike’s expression as if to say, ‘Don’t think about it.’

“Thanks, but I actually have my own car,” she answered. While it would be exciting to ride on a movie star’s motorbike, she didn’t want to ruin the mood with Mike around either. Plus it would be illogical since she really did have her car.

“Oh, that’s cool,” Peter said. “Good luck with the movie coverage,” he ended with before turning to open the door. Mike followed after giving Ann a millisecond glance with barely any emotion.

As she was making her way back to her parking spot, she caught to the side of her, the other, more regular ‘Peter’ from her life skipping up to her.

“Hey! You leaving already?” The Monkee bassist asked.

“Well, it is 4:00…” She replied slightly sarcastic.

“Aw, but we barely got a chance to talk,” he pointed out, a bit bummed.

She laughed lightly a little. “Peter, we talk to each other all the time. I’ll see you again in a couple of days.”

“Come on, it’s been a while since we caught up with each other’s lives and not just talk shop,” he insisted.

“Well, since I don’t have enough information to cover your film production, I might just do a piece on Peter Fonda,” she revealed.

“Oh, you met Fonda?” He asked curiously.

“Yes, I finally discovered who one of Mike’s biking buddies is. I’m not sure why he didn’t just meet him in the Canyon though…”

“Oh, Fonda’s been hanging out with Bob and Bert a lot lately. They’re interested in being involved in his next bike flick,” Peter revealed.

“Oh…that would make sense,” she stated simply in realization.

Peter casually placed his arm on her shoulder as she kept walking. “Come on, what’s the skinny going on with your non-Monkee peers. What’s the gossip at the office? Who is causing the drama behind the magazine cover?”

“You already know about Gloria,” Ann reminded.

“That doesn’t count. No one likes Gloria,” he claimed.

“Well…there is this one new girl at the office…Terry. She’s kind of a hard pill to swallow currently,” she revealed.

Peter squeezed her shoulder. “Want me to scold her for you?” He asked in a mock-up stern voice, referencing an incident where he did something similar to the ‘Gloria’ they previously referred to.

Ann formed a smile for a moment. “No. But thanks for the offer,” she ended with a smirk.

He smirked back and plainly let his arm fall from her shoulder right as he heard a rainbow colored car drive by them in the lot. Two brunette girls leaned out of the car windows and waved at Peter while cruising by. He waved back with a smile as Ann rearranged her bag on her arm. 

“Want to meet up at the grill tomorrow?” He suggested.

She shook her head. “Maybe next week. Genie’s been going through…a lot lately, and I promised to hang out with her tomorrow for emotional support,” she revealed.

Peter nodded slightly. “Because of the affair with Jack?”

Ann paused in minor surprise at him correctly guessing her friend’s dilemma with Cream showman Jack Bruce. “Yeah…how’d you know?”

He just shrugged. “Small town.”

“Ah…” She just lingered, though not fully convinced. He just smirked again before quickly pulling her into a tight bear hug. “See you around.” He rushed off within a split second and she waved plainly.


End file.
